Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal LIVE: Club World Cup team news and line-ups as Alexander-Arnold makes debut – UK Times

It’s debuts for Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen as Real Madrid prepare to kick off their Club World Cup campaign against Al-Hilal.

Florentino Perez can already see a new place in history. The Real Madrid president has naturally watched all the archive footage of predecessor Santiago Bernabeu winning the first European Cup, in 1956, and now wants to emulate him by winning the first Club World Cup. Perez has been making grand proclamations about it fitting Madrid’s grandeur, as they prepare for the United States.

In order to do that, however, he also had to face up to the present and the future. He realised Madrid had to change, and not just as regards the identity of the manager. So did the very football identity of the team.

Perez has long been adamant Carlo Ancelotti’s successor had to be Xabi Alonso, mostly on the guidance of his more sophisticated football hierarchy, such as chief scout Juni Calafat. Perez then became even more adamant that Alonso had to take over before the Club World Cup. If Ancelotti had run his course, Madrid had to ensure they were up and running for this unique moment in history. Alonso was willing to accept, on one condition: Madrid had to secure certain signings this summer.

Trent Alexander-Arnold could make his debut as a Real Madrid player tonight after leaving Liverpool following the expiration of his contract.

Here’s a look at the Spanish giants’ previous high-profile British signings:

However, Alexander-Arnold’s first words as a Real Madrid player indicate his decision to leave was far from last-minute as he showed off his impressive Spanish at the welcome ceremony.

There are 32 of the best teams from across the globe playing in the Club World Cup over the coming weeks – but Premier League champions Liverpool won’t be one of them.

Ella Witcher explains why:

Fifa has defended the progress of ticket sales for the Club World Cup after another low turnout for a group stage game on Tuesday evening.

Just 3,412 people attended the match in Orlando between Ulsan HD of South Korea and South African side Mamelodi Sundowns, after 22,317 watched Chelsea’s opening game against Los Angeles FC in Atlanta, in a stadium which can hold up to 71,000 people.

The competition has been controversial since its inception and has triggered legal action from domestic leagues and player unions against Fifa over what they see as a lack of consultation by the global governing body over fixture decisions.

He has ditched his surname in favour of going by “Trent” on the back of his shirt, accompanied by the number 12.

“Quite an easy explanation,” he said at his press conference. “I’ve always found when I travel to Europe that the whole name situation confuses a lot of people, as there being three names and double-barreled.

“People call me Arnold, people call me Alexander, people call me Alex, people call me Trent, there’s a lot that goes on. So I thought let’s make it easy, Trent on the back, and be known as Trent. That’s my name so I guess that’s what people will call me.”

Xabi Alonso will hope to impose his own style of play on the Spanish giants and that could include handing debuts to new signings Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy and David Alaba will not feature in the showdown as they are eased back in after injury.

Former Premier League stars Kalidou Koulibaly, Joao Cancelo, Ruben Neves and Aleksander Mitrovic are all expected to start for the Saudi opposition.

Group A: Al Ahly 0-0 Inter Miami

Group C: Bayern Munich 10-0 Auckland City

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Group A: Palmeiras 0-0 Porto

Group B: Botafogo 2-1 Seattle Sounders

Group C: Chelsea 2-0 LAFC

Group D: Boca Juniors 2-2 Benfica

Group C: Flamengo 2-0 Espérance de Tunis

Group F: Fluminense 0-0 Borussia Dortmund

Group E River Plate 3-1 Urawa Red Diamonds

Group F: Ulsan HD 0-1 Mamelodi Sundowns

Group E: Monterrey 1-1 Inter Milan

All users can watch a live stream on television and mobile devices, all they need to do is sign up for the company’s DAZN Freemium service, with the option to watch ad-free coverage for £14.99.

Users can watch DAZN from anywhere by using the DAZN App on TVs, smartphones and any device with a web browser.

The streaming service has hired several footballing legends as part of it’s coverage team, with Ronaldo Nazario, Claude Makelele, Sami Khedira, John Obi Mikel and Christian Vieri among the former players to feature on the punditry line-up, alongside Shay Given and Premier League striker Callum Wilson.

Ade Oladipo, Kelly Somers and Olivia Buzaglo will act as hosts for the coverage alongside former Football Italia presenter James Richardson.

And Conor McNamara will head the commentary team, with former Premier League players Andros Townsend, Michael Brown, Brad Friedel, Rob Green and Danny Higginbotham among the notable co-commentators.